Week In Review – Pineiro, Nats, Sixers

UPDATE: According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, the Phillies have signed former Mariner and Cardinal hurler Joel Pineiro to a minor-league deal that includes an invite to Spring Training.

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Will Prince Fielder sign in Washington?

When pennant flags are raised in 2015, many people will look back to this offseason as the one that shaped the National League East. It’s the first one in awhile when such big names are moving simultaneously and at the same position. Albert Pujols took care of his future already and now Prince Fielder still awaits his fate.

A dark horse in these negotiations could be the Nationals. They have quietly acquired, ok maybe not so quietly, the top young talent in Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen and Bryce Harper and made a deal to bring in Jayson Werth for way too much money. Recently they have been linked to Roy Oswalt, Gio Gonzalez (who they signed) and now apparently talks with Fielder’s agent have started back again.

As I have argued on Twitter (@kierancarobine) in the past weeks signing Fielder does not put the Nationals as favorites for the East. I honestly think the Phillies still hold that spot but it would make the upcoming seasons that much more interesting. Once their youthful movement is complete they will be the competing team on top.

Now I know what some of you are thinking; ‘why is this chump so hung up on the Nats in this Phillies blog’. Reason being is that when all these pieces start coming together for other teams, the Phillies luck may have run out and the current contracts run their course without renewals. Ruban Amaro has spent the last few seasons preparing for the now and trading away key components of the farm. So what’s left?

Keith Law ranked the Phillies organization as the fifth best in all of baseball. That’s good news. Jay Floyd, as always, takes it one step further to introduce you readers to the prospect list. See what’s in store for the 2012 season down on the farm.

It’s always fun to look back at the season before and relive certain games. Like Opening Day, when my friend calls my reaction to John Mayberry‘s walk-off single as an out-of-body experience running around CBP flailing, these are games you will never forget. This is why we count down the top 20 moments.

Top Moments are made by top players. And the Phillies have a lot of them. Our own man behind the curtain took the time out and updated all of our player pages with the new additions and subtractions updated. Check out your favorite Phillies. Also, if you missed any of the player reviews we have put them all in one neat little post so you don’t have to look far.

And last but certainly not least we here at Phillies Nation care about our female readers. Which is why we gave you, not one but, two videos featuring the best looking man in the blogsphere, Pat Gallen. PG talks beer, Ryan Madson and Cole Hamels on episode 8 of PN TV then sits down for CSNPhilly.com’s Lunch Break. He sat down with Rhea Hughes and talked Phillies and Sixers.

Joel Piniero has a very real chance of being better than Kenderick, Worley AND Blanton. Not saying it will happen but it would not surprise me if he outpitched those guys. I have no idea how the Nats plan on paying all these players they plan on signing. Nobody goes to see that team. Do they have a TV deal? Why does MLB keep insisting on putting teams in D.C? They can never survive.

I hope the do sign Fielder, and then when the team goes belly up, they can become the Oklahoma City Cowbells and we can ship them to the AL and take the Astros back.

I wonder if the Phils are interested in Wilson Betamit. He is a switch hitter who can hit and play all infield positions, albeit not especially well. He is not glove magician, but his bat may prove valuable at third, second, short and as a pinch hitter.

His name has come up before and briefly looking at his stats it makes sense. However, its not the way of the Phils and RAJ. They would rather sign a 38 yo has been or never quite been player first. Or give it to Mini-Mart.

I have to agree with the Dipsy. How on gods green earth are the Nationals spending all of this money. Sure they didnt have a huge payroll in the first place (23 our of 30 with a payroll of nearly $58 Mill), but they have no fan base. Where is this money coming from? Will they still be the same team in 2015? I would not be surprised if they signed Fielder this season in hopes to #1 win, and #2, bring in the fans. When the winning does not equate to fan base because their current fans are lethargic, and don’t care all that much, it seems they will have to SELL SELL SELL (or trade trade trade). Will they be able to afford these “star rookies” or “Star prospects” after their current deal? They were able to extend Gonzalez for 5 for $42, but what about maybe Drew Storen which is making nearly league minumum now. And if Steven Strasburg is as great as they say he is, do you honestly believe he will sign another contract worth an average of $3.85 like he is on now? He will be Arbitration eligible in 2014. Will they be able to afford him? I would not be surprised if the Nationals end up trading the “studs” to get good prospects, and they are back to square one. While the NL East is PROJECTED to be one of the best in baseball in 2012, I do not believe it will be much longer before it is rather weak again. The Marlins spent a butt load of money “expecting an increase in revenue”, but this is also the same team who won a World Series, yet still could not keep fans coming to the ball park. Sure there will be a boost the first year, but will it continue? When it doesn’t. Trade, trade, trade. Nationals. Same thing. The teams with the best chance to continue on I suspect would be the Phillies and Braves based on fan base, and our willingness to spend a butt load of money at the ballpark, not to mention selling out 200+ straight home games.

I tried posting last night soon after Dipsy posted – I do agree that even if the Nats were to be very successful this year, with or without Fielder, they may draw for a season or even 2 but just like the Fish, the crowds will be next to nothing (after 2 WS!).

Some places are just not meant to have an MLB team. DC is one of them.

Regarding Pineiro: 1 decent season out of his last 9, he gives up more hits than IP, his WHIP last year & his ERA were abysmal and looking over his career, if he plays for over half on the IR!

Good depth, especially in starting pitching, is a valuable thing to have. Over the last few years they’ve had to use many more starters than the original five they start out with due to injury and rescheduled day-nights due to weather. Pineiro is not an exciting signing, but a good one for that purpose. You don’t get vets with 3.25 ERA’s to sign minor league contracts, you get guys like Pineiro. He does have a low BB/9 rate and his other peripherals are -eh, not great, but decent enough for the money spent. Good Move.

I live in suburbia right between Baltimore and DC, but I consider myself a Baltimorean (Baltimoron, as we are more commonly known!) . I don’t think we know yet how Nats fans will support a winning team. They’re known as a fair weather baseball town for sure, but that doesn’t mean they won’t support a good team. The Redskins, who’ve sucked for 20 years, still have a string of consecutive sell-outs dating back to the Ice Age. And since the Capitals started winning, their games have always been sold out.

Yes, they lost two franchises in 1961, and 1972. But most of those “fans” are long gone, and a newer younger generation resides there now. I just don’t think we know enough yet to make that statement, IMO the jury is still out.

Whether or not DC is meant to have a team, adding Fielder (along with having Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman for a full season, adding Gonzalez) will put them right in the mix. They won 80 games last year without Fielder (including 10-8 against the Phillies). The two young middle infielders and Wilson Ramos can be reasonably expected to take another step forward, and it looks like they plan on having Harper in the starting lineup by June. They’ve done a great job in putting that team together.

Lets face it. Not to sign narrow minded (which means I will) but Washington, D.C. is full of government employees from other places and poor people. One group is transient and the other group could give a damn, much less buy a ticket to, a baseball game. MLB…..know your demographics! The problem with the Marlins is that nobody, except for poor people..actually grow up in Miami. In order for a city to have a successful franchise there has to be a bond. Models, homosexuals, and retired Yankee and Met fans don’t give a damn, and never will, about the Marlins. But the Marlins do have a better shot because they have attempted to lure a Latin base with their signings. I want the Marlins to succeed as a franchise. I know D.C. will not.

The main problem in Miami, as in the rest of FL (Hello Tampa!) is that the state is and always will be football first!! The three main college and the three pro teams will always attract more attention from the fans and the media down here!! If you think that there are more Phils fans than Nats fans at a DC game, you should go to a Phils/Fish game in Miami!! The ratio is more like 3-1!!

Dipsy my friend, Let’s for a minute say you are correct that the Nationals will move to BF Egypt in the not too distant future. Let’s say it doesn’t work at the new stadium they just paid gazillions to build, and in 3 to 4 years they decide to fold up the tent and flee DC. Then it will might take MLB 3 to 4 years to realign the divisions. Atlanta was in the West for how long? So the Nationals slash Cowbells (that made me laugh) franchise still plays the Phillies 18 times, (or 16 or whatever the still undetermined new set up will be next season with everyday inter-league play) for the likely entirety of Prince Fielder’s contract.

So you can still hope all you want that they sign Fielder, but I really hope they don’t. I want him in Texas or Seattle- the wild AL West, as far away as possible.

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